1995zj
I'm addicted
- Location
- Herriman, UT
For reference I am running D44's front and rear, front has an ARB and chromoly shafts w/ full-circle clips and I've never had any issues with that for the 37" stickies I'm running. The rear is an Isuzu Rodeo D44 spooled with stock shafts (30 spline) and I broke 1 rear shaft last June.
Alright so I just got back from a week down in Moab for EJS and had a blast as always. On Friday we decided to run Pritchett Canyon just like every other year and the one obstacle (Rock Pile) that I want to conquer yet again conquered me. Last year I almost made it, but backed down as I didn't have any spare rear shafts with me on the trail and I was being quite hard. Well this year I carried a spare shaft as I knew I'd be trying Rock Pile again and I knew my shafts had been beat on so were probably a bit weaker.
Anyways I didn't even hit the obstacle near as hard as last time I tried it but I heard the snap and knew what it was immediately, my drivers side rear shaft. So I back down out of the way so others could break their **** while I fixed mine. Took about 1 hour and I had it all back together and ready to go.....or so I thought. I start to drive and take the bypass for Rock Pile (which is now almost as hard as Rock Pile) and I hear another loud snap! This one was a bit different and my first thought was either t-case or gears. I put it in park and it rolled back a bit more that normal, then I put it back in drive and I felt the rear drive shaft spin a bit before it caught. So I knew I had also blown the gears, not sure how they both went at the same time but they did. So I pulled the rear drive shaft as I don't carry a spare ring and pinion on the trail .
So I had front wheel drive the rest of the trail which is only 1/4 mile or so, but lots of obstacles. I winched up Rock Pile and Yellow Hill and then drove it the 14 miles back to the highway. It was fun day to say the least .
Now to the question....I want to keep my 6 lug pattern as I just picked up these beadlocks and would rather not sell them. I've also checked with Dutchman and Mooser about custom alloy 1541H shafts but they said the import Dana axles that come on Isuzus' already use a different material than US Dana axles such as Jeep, Ford, Chevy, etc. This different material is stronger and their custom 1541H alloy shafts probably won't be stonger.
So here are the few options that I've thought of, and if you have any other ideas, please feel free to throw them out there
OPTION A - Keep the same axle and just keep replacing the rear shafts when they go out. (~$35 per axle shaft)
OPTION B - Keep the same axle, have custom 33 spline alloy shafts made, buy a 33 spline Detroit or ARB (spools aren't offered), and buy new gears (~$500 shafts, ~$450 33 spline Detroit, ~$300 gears)
OPTION C - Swap in a Ford 9" and have some 5-6 lug adapters made. Gear it and spool it. (~$300 axle, ~$200 adapters, ~$250 spool, ~$300 gears)
OPTION D - Swap in a Dana 60, upgrade to 35 spline shafts (the stock 30 spline are the same size as what I currently run in my D44), wheel adapters, spool and gear it. (~$100 axle, ~$150 adapters, ~$400 shafts, ~$200 spool, ~$300 gears)
OPTION E - Swap in a 14 bolt, shave it, wheel adapters, spool and gear it.
(~$150 axle, ~$150 adapters, ~$200 spool, ~$300 gears)
Alright so I just got back from a week down in Moab for EJS and had a blast as always. On Friday we decided to run Pritchett Canyon just like every other year and the one obstacle (Rock Pile) that I want to conquer yet again conquered me. Last year I almost made it, but backed down as I didn't have any spare rear shafts with me on the trail and I was being quite hard. Well this year I carried a spare shaft as I knew I'd be trying Rock Pile again and I knew my shafts had been beat on so were probably a bit weaker.
Anyways I didn't even hit the obstacle near as hard as last time I tried it but I heard the snap and knew what it was immediately, my drivers side rear shaft. So I back down out of the way so others could break their **** while I fixed mine. Took about 1 hour and I had it all back together and ready to go.....or so I thought. I start to drive and take the bypass for Rock Pile (which is now almost as hard as Rock Pile) and I hear another loud snap! This one was a bit different and my first thought was either t-case or gears. I put it in park and it rolled back a bit more that normal, then I put it back in drive and I felt the rear drive shaft spin a bit before it caught. So I knew I had also blown the gears, not sure how they both went at the same time but they did. So I pulled the rear drive shaft as I don't carry a spare ring and pinion on the trail .
So I had front wheel drive the rest of the trail which is only 1/4 mile or so, but lots of obstacles. I winched up Rock Pile and Yellow Hill and then drove it the 14 miles back to the highway. It was fun day to say the least .
Now to the question....I want to keep my 6 lug pattern as I just picked up these beadlocks and would rather not sell them. I've also checked with Dutchman and Mooser about custom alloy 1541H shafts but they said the import Dana axles that come on Isuzus' already use a different material than US Dana axles such as Jeep, Ford, Chevy, etc. This different material is stronger and their custom 1541H alloy shafts probably won't be stonger.
So here are the few options that I've thought of, and if you have any other ideas, please feel free to throw them out there
OPTION A - Keep the same axle and just keep replacing the rear shafts when they go out. (~$35 per axle shaft)
OPTION B - Keep the same axle, have custom 33 spline alloy shafts made, buy a 33 spline Detroit or ARB (spools aren't offered), and buy new gears (~$500 shafts, ~$450 33 spline Detroit, ~$300 gears)
OPTION C - Swap in a Ford 9" and have some 5-6 lug adapters made. Gear it and spool it. (~$300 axle, ~$200 adapters, ~$250 spool, ~$300 gears)
OPTION D - Swap in a Dana 60, upgrade to 35 spline shafts (the stock 30 spline are the same size as what I currently run in my D44), wheel adapters, spool and gear it. (~$100 axle, ~$150 adapters, ~$400 shafts, ~$200 spool, ~$300 gears)
OPTION E - Swap in a 14 bolt, shave it, wheel adapters, spool and gear it.
(~$150 axle, ~$150 adapters, ~$200 spool, ~$300 gears)